12-29-18
Hey! 2018 is over. How did that happen?
* Jeez, we went to a lot of places! Concerts included Rob Zombie/Marilyn Manson, Ghost, Foo Fighters, Elton John, Smashing Pumpkins, Metallica, Machine Head (x2), Steven Wilson, Life Of Agony (x2), Live, Radiohead, Stone Temple Pilots, Weezer, Black Label Society w/COC--wow! We also got to see a festival of lights and pro golf in Akron with friends. The Warhol museum. Cleveland Museum. Randyland (Erin was lukewarm on that one). Just a wonderful year of traveling and doing random things for enjoyment. I think we crammed five years of things into this single year. We're hoping to do the same in 2019 though--uhhh--we're old.
* My wife and I both lost about 40 pounds each. We don't really post about it a lot because it's a constant struggle, and we're always fighting the inevitable poundage put-back. The holidays don't help, either. But we've just been eating cleaner and working out. She rides a bike and I do a lot of walking. Yoga and Kettlebells here and there. While I'm proud of the work and progress, the hardest part is keeping it off. We started in February and I hit my goal in July. I am happy about what we've done, but the looming return of bad habits is like a monster with big, sharp, pointy teeth (as Tim from Holy Grail would say). It's gonna be a grind!
* We started the basement this past week, with the help of my wonderful friend, Mr. Shimko. That guy is a building beast! Eventually, we want to have the entire basement finished (which I said would happen somewhere between 2016 and 2025). So, we've got a good head start.
* I've dropped the ball in the music area. I've got a bunch of original songs waiting. KKC got to play a 20 year show. Played some covers, which was fun--and got to play with some people I really respect and appreciate. I just feel like I'm wasting so much precious time. I have an immense and impossible goal regarding my own musical endeavors. It's so impossible, I don't even want to list it here. But I'm going to try, and it's GOTTA happen in 2019. Well, the first step does.
* I still haven't run over Noll Hartman with a semi-truck yet. But 2019 provides a lot of opportunity to improve the world and accomplish important personal goals. Hitting Noll with a truck would do a both of those things.
* This has been a year of addiction to collecting vinyl. Erin and I have found a lot of albums we've always wanted to have, and we snagged a bunch of them. The list isn't complete yet--but we are infinitely closer to completing the list of must-haves.
* The passing of Jeanie Kihm in July was difficult. Johnny has been my best friend for almost 30 years, and she was a vital part of my upbringing. You'd be hard-pressed to find a kinder spirit on Earth. I don't dwell on the negatives, though. I feel indescribably fortunate to have known her and to have her call me her 'third son' on many occasions. Just a beautiful person who is terribly missed.
My goals for 2019:
1. Music. I just want to do a lot of music. I've never had a song I've done on vinyl, which bums me out. I really want to remedy that this year.
2. Live. I've noticed that things that I used to deem as cheesy (guys from the military popping out of boxes to surprise families at basketball games, dogs on their last walk before being taken to the vet for the final time, old men talking about their widows)--these videos suddenly move me to tears now. I'm just more reactionary to these heart-string tugs. Maybe it's because I'm into my 40s. Maybe it's because I just love being alive. I dunno. I don't want to change it. I want to embrace that more. Love and be loved.
3. Keep joy. My occupation requires joy and the past few weeks have presented unique challenges that I've never faced in my career because--well--the way I treat kids has been enough to avoid problems that many others have to deal with in my line of work. This year, I've found that's not always the case. Trust and empathy don't necessarily garner a full return on every occasion now. I just have to evolve with the times and continue to love the job and the young and hopeful faces I see everyday. I think I'll be refreshed when I return in a few short days.
4. I'm going to try a ridiculous idea that I've always labeled as too stupid to try. But I'm gonna go for it. I know that's vague. But it has to be for now! :-)
5. I've been withdrawing a bit from social media because (like many of us) I know it consumes too much of my time. I can't find time to play video games, or write music, or work on the house, or visit with friends & family, but I always scroll through Facebook several times a day. It's just kind of stupid. I don't think anyone's tombstone is ever going to read DAMN! GLAD I SCROLLED THE TL SO MUCH WHEN I WAS ALIVE! This is just the addiction of our time. Well, it's the addiction that got a hold on me, at least.
Saturday, December 29, 2018
My Favorite Albums of 2018
With my enrollment in Spotify Premium this year, and an obsession with mallwalking (yes, I'm 56 years old), I've heard a boatload of new music. So I find it impossible to list only my Top 10. In fact, just narrowing it down to 15 was difficult. But, finally, I've got it. My favorite albums of 2018! In order, of course. Some might disagree with my top selections. But that's what makes this fun!
(#15) Low - Double Negative
Admittedly, I was taken aback by this duo's foray into electronically-driven music. However, this one has grown on me quite a bit--and I now look at it as their most dynamic effort in several years. If you haven't listened, do so. Be prepared to be depressed but intrigued.
(#14) Biffy Clyro - MTV Unplugged Live At Roundhouse London
This is the most important Unplugged album to come out in quite a bit because it's a triumphant return of the program (albeit in the UK) and it's actually GOOD. The cover of a Beach Boys song really pushes it over the top--but to hear Biffy's songs in a stripped back format really brings out the emotion within the individual tunes. The stage and the set list really hit every mark! The DVD is worth a watch, as well. 'Mon the Biff!
(#13) Corrosion of Conformity - No Cross, No Crown
The awesome return of Pepper Keenan back to the helm of COC. After 12 long years and it's SO mighty! Songs like "The Luddite" and "Cast the First Stone" will be mainstays in the live set for quite a while--but I'm personally drawn to "Nothing Left To Say." Taste the sludge!
(#12) The Pineapple Thief - Dissolution
I'm ashamed to say I've missed out on these guys for years (and 11 albums). Erin D saw them mentioned on a Steven Wilson page--and the "proggies" there always stick together. So when this was recommended by so many on the page, I had to go hear it for myself. This album is the perfect example of what great players can bring to great songwriting, and vice-versa. It's haunting and unforgettable. I love it this much, and I've only given it a handful of listens. Without a doubt, it'll continue to grow on me.
(#11) Deafheaven - Ordinary Corrupt Human Love
Another effort from Deafheaven which doesn't fall short of expectations. Most of this listen is spent wondering how something can be so devastating and so beautiful. I don't this is quite at the the level of "Sunbather"--but it's close. "Canary Yellow" and "Worthless Animal" are standout tracks on a fully standout album.
(#10) A Perfect Circle - Eat the Elephant
I'm betting you won't find a more divisive album on my list. APC fans instantly split into factions. Is this a sellout attempt? Is it weak songwriting? Or is it just a brand new APC album that completely breaks from their formula? For me, it's the latter. I think they created an album which is very atmospheric. Much in the same way you'll find on Acid Bath's When the Kite String Pops album, this album's more reserved moments are filled with unrelenting tension. If you swore this off after a couple of listens, it probably missed you. This is a great album and, in my opinion, it's APC's most unified piece.
(#9) Judas Priest - Firepower
I don't need to say much about it. It's just Priest's best album in a couple of decades. The most balls-out, straight-forward metal album of the year. It just happened to be crafted and performed by 70-year-olds. Absolute legendary material from absolute legends!
(#8) Muse - Simulation Theory
Truly, I never expected these guys to get so huge. I was first introduced to them by a friend in 1999. I skipped a chance to see them in Kent circa 2003, and was fortunate enough to catch them at the Agora for $20 around 2006. Now, a ticket to the upcoming tour will run you well over $100 if you actually want to be able to SEE them from your seat. Matt's voice is too unappealing to a mass audience--so I thought? But this is a theme album which let's them be as experimental and electronic as they want. Also allows them to become Prince for a second on "Break it to Me" and then move on to emotional-eletrodroning like "Something Human." It just really works as a whole, which is a place where Drones and The 2nd Law faltered. A fun album with some rather danceable moments.
(#7) Myles Kennedy - "Year of the Tiger"
When an artist does a fully 'solo' effort, he/she must make a choice--try to sound like what you do with your full band, or branch out into something different. A couple of efforts--Weiland's 12 Bar Blues and Cornell's Euphoria Morning (Mourning), for example--show the musician stretching beyond their comfort zone. Tiger lets Kennedy dig into folk, rock, country, and many other points in between. His vocal range is, as always, impressive. Check out "Songbird" and the amazing "Nothing But a Name" and take in what is a very cohesive and enjoyable album. As a side note, he's also the voice on one of my very favorite songs of the entire year, Slash's tune, "The One You Love Is Gone."
(#6) YOB - Our Raw Heart
This band's guitarist almost died recently, and they come out with their most inspired and earnest album. Every song remains fresh throughout--which is especially impressive since most of the songs range between 9 - 16 minutes in length. Much like Pallbearer's last album Heartless, this album's power is found in the vocal delivery. I will continue to revisit this record for years to come because I find something new in it with every session. It's really good. Honestly, it probably should sit higher on my list.
(#5) - Ghost - Prequelle
Ghost is now fronted by the Cardinal. Who's actually Tobias Forge. Whatever. Opus Eponymous was my favorite album of 2010, and I didn't even know about the stage theatrics. I just loved the album. Honestly, I figured they looked like Deep Purple back then. With each additional release, Ghost has gotten a little more mainstream. I simply don't care. The music is so good. Some say it should be more satanic, but when I started seeing Metallica-shirt-wearing jocks at their shows in 2012, I knew they were heading towards widespread appreciation. This album is excellent. It would probably be my favorite, but I find the two instrumental tracks to be underwhelming--along with the intro track. So really, this album only has 7 new songs on it, in my opinion. Songs like "Rats" and "See the Light" are wonderfully written, and "Dance Macabre" might be the catchiest song Forge has ever composed. Haters be damned, I love this band. Also, they're great live. Likely my favorite show of this past year. Maybe.
(#4) Internal Bleeding - Corrupting Influence
Gotta set the scene for this one. In 1999, 21-year-old me was about to graduate from college and step into the intimidating world of adulthood. So I needed something angsty to fight off the future demons. Enter Internal Bleeding's Driven to Conquer. It's still one of my favorite slam albums of all time. Every song had 200 riffs in it, and it just fit all together. They'd released only two albums since then, and I often found myself bored by some of it. Then, the band tragically lost their drummer, Bill Tolley, who was a firefighter in New York City. He fell to his death on the job, and the band's future was in doubt. However, they've reemerged with this effort, and it is their most complete album since the aforementioned Driven to Conquer. It's a slam record, with unrelenting brutality. Without question, my favorite death metal album in 2018.
(#3) Alice In Chains - Rainier Fog
If you're still a stubborn "Layne was Alice In Chains" person, then you're really missing out on some wonderful music. AIC continues to write excellent music (which is far more inspired than their self-titled 1997 dog album, btw)--I just don't understand how people can cast off the importance of Jerry Cantrell and ignore what they're doing now. This album is melancholy, heavy, and memorable. Of the ten songs, eight of these are high-caliber jams which I'd put up against most of their past catalog. "Never Fade" is my personal favorite. By the way, I think this is Erin D's favorite album of 2018. I say that because she won't quit listening to it every single day.
(#2) Pennywise - Never Gonna Die
I haven't enjoyed an entire Pennywise album since 1995's About Time. Jim Lindberg has been back on vocals since 2012, but this is the first album of FULLY NEW MATERIAL with him dating back several years. The album just feels really inspired. Also, oddly enough, the band sounds a little loose at times, which makes me love this album even more. It's not all Pro-Tools perfect. Some of the little flaws is what makes me love it so much. Songs like "Keep Moving On" and "Live While You Can" have been a time bomb ticking in my head (ticking in my head) since its release in April. A solid pop-punk record! Check it out!
(#1) Stone Temple Pilots - "Stone Temple Pilots"
Okay. It's really crappy they made this a self-titled album, since they already tried that in 2010 with a lame album with Scott. Jeff Gutt, their new vocalist, certainly has the pipes and the conviction to pull off a new-age rendition of this band. Scott Weiland was one of my favorite singers, so I was ultra-bummed to see them try to pull it off with Chester (which was a rather failed EP experiment). But this new album has so many great songs. The more I listened to it, the more it climbed up my list of STP albums. It's not their best album. Not their second best, either. But it might be their third best album (below Core and Purple). Ever. If you're not into mellow STP, this album won't make the immediate impact it made on me. But "Thought She'd Be Mine" and "The Art of Letting Go" are both songs that really have memorable vocal hooks that aren't in Weiland's style. They show Gutt is willing to make this band his own. I'm ready to suspend my dedication to Weiland if the DeLeos continue to prove they can write wonderful songs. Of all the albums I listened to in 2018, this one has gotten the most spins. I can't wait to see what they do next.
That's it. Thanks for checking out my list. A few other albums I loved in 2018:
* Longshot - Love Is For Losers
* Between the Buried and Me - Automata I & II
* Nothing - Dance on the Blacktop
* At The Gates - To Drink From the Night Itself
* Kids See Ghosts (Kanye and Cudi) - Kids See Ghosts
* Mogwai - Kin Soundtrack
* Alkaline Trio - Is This Thing Cursed?
* Failure - In the Future Your Body Will Be the Furthest Thing from Your Mind
* Death Grips - Year of the Snitch
(#15) Low - Double Negative
Admittedly, I was taken aback by this duo's foray into electronically-driven music. However, this one has grown on me quite a bit--and I now look at it as their most dynamic effort in several years. If you haven't listened, do so. Be prepared to be depressed but intrigued.
(#14) Biffy Clyro - MTV Unplugged Live At Roundhouse London
This is the most important Unplugged album to come out in quite a bit because it's a triumphant return of the program (albeit in the UK) and it's actually GOOD. The cover of a Beach Boys song really pushes it over the top--but to hear Biffy's songs in a stripped back format really brings out the emotion within the individual tunes. The stage and the set list really hit every mark! The DVD is worth a watch, as well. 'Mon the Biff!
(#13) Corrosion of Conformity - No Cross, No Crown
The awesome return of Pepper Keenan back to the helm of COC. After 12 long years and it's SO mighty! Songs like "The Luddite" and "Cast the First Stone" will be mainstays in the live set for quite a while--but I'm personally drawn to "Nothing Left To Say." Taste the sludge!
(#12) The Pineapple Thief - Dissolution
I'm ashamed to say I've missed out on these guys for years (and 11 albums). Erin D saw them mentioned on a Steven Wilson page--and the "proggies" there always stick together. So when this was recommended by so many on the page, I had to go hear it for myself. This album is the perfect example of what great players can bring to great songwriting, and vice-versa. It's haunting and unforgettable. I love it this much, and I've only given it a handful of listens. Without a doubt, it'll continue to grow on me.
(#11) Deafheaven - Ordinary Corrupt Human Love
Another effort from Deafheaven which doesn't fall short of expectations. Most of this listen is spent wondering how something can be so devastating and so beautiful. I don't this is quite at the the level of "Sunbather"--but it's close. "Canary Yellow" and "Worthless Animal" are standout tracks on a fully standout album.
(#10) A Perfect Circle - Eat the Elephant
I'm betting you won't find a more divisive album on my list. APC fans instantly split into factions. Is this a sellout attempt? Is it weak songwriting? Or is it just a brand new APC album that completely breaks from their formula? For me, it's the latter. I think they created an album which is very atmospheric. Much in the same way you'll find on Acid Bath's When the Kite String Pops album, this album's more reserved moments are filled with unrelenting tension. If you swore this off after a couple of listens, it probably missed you. This is a great album and, in my opinion, it's APC's most unified piece.
(#9) Judas Priest - Firepower
I don't need to say much about it. It's just Priest's best album in a couple of decades. The most balls-out, straight-forward metal album of the year. It just happened to be crafted and performed by 70-year-olds. Absolute legendary material from absolute legends!
(#8) Muse - Simulation Theory
Truly, I never expected these guys to get so huge. I was first introduced to them by a friend in 1999. I skipped a chance to see them in Kent circa 2003, and was fortunate enough to catch them at the Agora for $20 around 2006. Now, a ticket to the upcoming tour will run you well over $100 if you actually want to be able to SEE them from your seat. Matt's voice is too unappealing to a mass audience--so I thought? But this is a theme album which let's them be as experimental and electronic as they want. Also allows them to become Prince for a second on "Break it to Me" and then move on to emotional-eletrodroning like "Something Human." It just really works as a whole, which is a place where Drones and The 2nd Law faltered. A fun album with some rather danceable moments.
(#7) Myles Kennedy - "Year of the Tiger"
When an artist does a fully 'solo' effort, he/she must make a choice--try to sound like what you do with your full band, or branch out into something different. A couple of efforts--Weiland's 12 Bar Blues and Cornell's Euphoria Morning (Mourning), for example--show the musician stretching beyond their comfort zone. Tiger lets Kennedy dig into folk, rock, country, and many other points in between. His vocal range is, as always, impressive. Check out "Songbird" and the amazing "Nothing But a Name" and take in what is a very cohesive and enjoyable album. As a side note, he's also the voice on one of my very favorite songs of the entire year, Slash's tune, "The One You Love Is Gone."
(#6) YOB - Our Raw Heart
This band's guitarist almost died recently, and they come out with their most inspired and earnest album. Every song remains fresh throughout--which is especially impressive since most of the songs range between 9 - 16 minutes in length. Much like Pallbearer's last album Heartless, this album's power is found in the vocal delivery. I will continue to revisit this record for years to come because I find something new in it with every session. It's really good. Honestly, it probably should sit higher on my list.
(#5) - Ghost - Prequelle
Ghost is now fronted by the Cardinal. Who's actually Tobias Forge. Whatever. Opus Eponymous was my favorite album of 2010, and I didn't even know about the stage theatrics. I just loved the album. Honestly, I figured they looked like Deep Purple back then. With each additional release, Ghost has gotten a little more mainstream. I simply don't care. The music is so good. Some say it should be more satanic, but when I started seeing Metallica-shirt-wearing jocks at their shows in 2012, I knew they were heading towards widespread appreciation. This album is excellent. It would probably be my favorite, but I find the two instrumental tracks to be underwhelming--along with the intro track. So really, this album only has 7 new songs on it, in my opinion. Songs like "Rats" and "See the Light" are wonderfully written, and "Dance Macabre" might be the catchiest song Forge has ever composed. Haters be damned, I love this band. Also, they're great live. Likely my favorite show of this past year. Maybe.
(#4) Internal Bleeding - Corrupting Influence
Gotta set the scene for this one. In 1999, 21-year-old me was about to graduate from college and step into the intimidating world of adulthood. So I needed something angsty to fight off the future demons. Enter Internal Bleeding's Driven to Conquer. It's still one of my favorite slam albums of all time. Every song had 200 riffs in it, and it just fit all together. They'd released only two albums since then, and I often found myself bored by some of it. Then, the band tragically lost their drummer, Bill Tolley, who was a firefighter in New York City. He fell to his death on the job, and the band's future was in doubt. However, they've reemerged with this effort, and it is their most complete album since the aforementioned Driven to Conquer. It's a slam record, with unrelenting brutality. Without question, my favorite death metal album in 2018.
(#3) Alice In Chains - Rainier Fog
If you're still a stubborn "Layne was Alice In Chains" person, then you're really missing out on some wonderful music. AIC continues to write excellent music (which is far more inspired than their self-titled 1997 dog album, btw)--I just don't understand how people can cast off the importance of Jerry Cantrell and ignore what they're doing now. This album is melancholy, heavy, and memorable. Of the ten songs, eight of these are high-caliber jams which I'd put up against most of their past catalog. "Never Fade" is my personal favorite. By the way, I think this is Erin D's favorite album of 2018. I say that because she won't quit listening to it every single day.
(#2) Pennywise - Never Gonna Die
I haven't enjoyed an entire Pennywise album since 1995's About Time. Jim Lindberg has been back on vocals since 2012, but this is the first album of FULLY NEW MATERIAL with him dating back several years. The album just feels really inspired. Also, oddly enough, the band sounds a little loose at times, which makes me love this album even more. It's not all Pro-Tools perfect. Some of the little flaws is what makes me love it so much. Songs like "Keep Moving On" and "Live While You Can" have been a time bomb ticking in my head (ticking in my head) since its release in April. A solid pop-punk record! Check it out!
(#1) Stone Temple Pilots - "Stone Temple Pilots"
Okay. It's really crappy they made this a self-titled album, since they already tried that in 2010 with a lame album with Scott. Jeff Gutt, their new vocalist, certainly has the pipes and the conviction to pull off a new-age rendition of this band. Scott Weiland was one of my favorite singers, so I was ultra-bummed to see them try to pull it off with Chester (which was a rather failed EP experiment). But this new album has so many great songs. The more I listened to it, the more it climbed up my list of STP albums. It's not their best album. Not their second best, either. But it might be their third best album (below Core and Purple). Ever. If you're not into mellow STP, this album won't make the immediate impact it made on me. But "Thought She'd Be Mine" and "The Art of Letting Go" are both songs that really have memorable vocal hooks that aren't in Weiland's style. They show Gutt is willing to make this band his own. I'm ready to suspend my dedication to Weiland if the DeLeos continue to prove they can write wonderful songs. Of all the albums I listened to in 2018, this one has gotten the most spins. I can't wait to see what they do next.
That's it. Thanks for checking out my list. A few other albums I loved in 2018:
* Longshot - Love Is For Losers
* Between the Buried and Me - Automata I & II
* Nothing - Dance on the Blacktop
* At The Gates - To Drink From the Night Itself
* Kids See Ghosts (Kanye and Cudi) - Kids See Ghosts
* Mogwai - Kin Soundtrack
* Alkaline Trio - Is This Thing Cursed?
* Failure - In the Future Your Body Will Be the Furthest Thing from Your Mind
* Death Grips - Year of the Snitch
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